Window-curtain guide



eeeeeee V r A. M. HASWELL. I WINDOW CURTAIN GUIDE No. 449,042. 4 Patented Mar. 24 1 8 9 1.-

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NIT D STATE V ALFRED M. HASWELL, or o IIcAeo, ILLINOIS.

.WlNDOW-CURTAIN GUIDE.

srjn'oir rca'rro v forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,042, dated March 24,1391.

Application filedDecember 26,1889. ScrialNaSGfiiOOZ..(No model.) Patented in cards August a, 1887, No. 27,366, and in v EnglandSeptember2l,1887,N0.1Z,809.

To all whbm it may conccrmnl' Be it kno'wnithat' I, ALFRED M. HAswELL, a citizen of the' United! States, residing 'at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain'new and useful Improvementsjin \Vindow-Ourtain Guide Fixtures, (substantially as patented to me in Canada by Letters Patent No. 2 7,366,-dated August8,,188;7-, and in England by Letters Patent No. 12,809, dated September 21, 1887;) and I'do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,'and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it. appertains to make and use the same. r

This invention relates. to window-curtain fixtures, and more especially to that class thereof which are used for the purpose of guiding the lower or free end of the shade or curtain in itsascent and descent.

My invention consists, broadly, of a guidewire tightly stretched along each edge of the shade or curtain, together with an attaching device connecting its upper end with the fixture which supports the curtain, and a ten- -sion device at its lower end, by means of which it maybe kept tight, the better adapting it to a successful use for the purposes for which it is intended.

The following specification describes and the accompanying drawings illustrate what I consider the best means of carrying out my invention, although I do not wish to be un derstood as limiting myself to the precise details of construction and arrangement of parts therein mentioned and shown.

In the said drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a window complete with its shade and spring-roller, my improved guide being shown as used in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detached view of the loop at the upper end of my guide-wire. Fig. 3 is an enlarged central vertical section of the tension device at the lower end of my guide-wire, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the clasp engaging'the end of the curtain-stick.

The letter O designates an ordinary shade or curtain adapted to be raised and lowered bgany of the well-known devices for that purpose, as, for instance, the spring-roller R shown in the present case.

FjlS the window-frame surrounding the window, and X the fixtures secured to such frame and supporting the roller R, upon which the shade is wound, all as is well known, and forming no part of my invention.

The letter H designates a stiff wire hook, substantially of the shape and proportionate size shown, which is adapted to be hookedover the fixture X, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and said. hook is provided with an eye 7r at its'lower end.

The letter T designates a tension device consisting of two L-shaped members U and and L, the longer arm of the lower member L being secured by a screw or otherwise to the window-frame F at about the position shown and its shorter arm projecting forwardly therefrom. The longer arm of the upper member U slides against said frame above the lower member, and its shorter arm also projects forwardly from said frame above and parallel with the shorter arm of the lower member and its extreme end. This shorter arm is provided with a downwardly-projecting hook u. A screw S passes loosely through a hole in the short arm of the upper member and engages a screw-threaded hole in that of the lower member, and when this screw is turned the upper member U is adjusted vertically with respect to the lower member L, all as will be clearly understood from the drawings, Fig. 3, without a more explicit explanation.

The letter K designates a metal clasp,which is bent into the form shown and removably attached to the end of the curtain-stick c by a split pin P or any other suitable device which renders it detachable therefrom when desired. At the end of the stick where the clasp K is bent around it, as shown, two longitudinal cuts orincisions are made in the metallic body of the clasp, and the tongue 7);, formed between such cuts, is stretched, (by being heated, stamped, or struck up,) so that when in its operative position, as shown in Fig. 4, said tongue will form a loop projecting slightly beyond the end of the curtainstick 0, and hence slightly beyond the edge of the curtain itself. The metal body of the clasp K, preferablyon the end portion there of, as shown, may be provided with one or more V-shaped cuts V, and the metal between these cuts bent inwardly to form points which, when the clasp is in position upon the stick, project into the end of the latter and hold the clasp in place. These points materially assist in preventing the clasp K from working loose upon the stick.

The letter XV designates a wire guide attached at its upper end to the eye It in the hook II and at its lower end to the hook to of the upper member of the tension device, its bodyintermcdiate of its ends passing loosely through the loop in the clasp at the end of the curtain-stick, whereby the said curtainstick is connected therewith in such a manner that it may be raised or lowered with case, but its lateral position will remain unchanged. It is to be understood, of course, that there is a pair of hooks H, tension device T, guides G, and wires XV, one arranged along each vertical edge of the curtain, all as shown in Fig. 1, and it will be evident at once to a person skilled in the art to which my invention appertains that a shade arranged as above described, and in connection with the guiding devices, cannot be pulled too far down, so as to be forcibly torn from the spring-roller; neither can it run up too far, as is so frequently the case with shades of the common construction when the operator accidentally loosens his hold upon them. Moreover, the construction of the various parts and their specific mode of attachment to the window-frame, the curtain-stick, and the curtain fixtures is such that they will not readily become detached or loosened therefrom, but will retain their operative and useful position for a long time, and the curtain itself, instead of being encumbered thereby, will be rendered more serviceable and better adapted for the uses to which it is to be put.

The above-described parts being assembled and properly secured in place, the operation of my improved device is as follows: The curtain or shade G is raised andlowered by hand or otherwise precisely as if the guide-wires, tisc.,were not there, as my devices in no wise interfere with the ordinary operations thereof; but supposing the curtain to be down and the lower sash of the window raised, and supposing a brisk breeze to be blowing either into or out of the window. Heretofore the curtain would sway with such breeze to the annoyance of the occupants of the room, would rattle, tear its edges on the window-frame as it swung in and out, and if there were a gas-jet near,

as in bed-rooms, might swing into it and become ignited therefrom; but the guide-wire \V, engaging the clasp K in each end of the curtain-stick, effectually prevents any lateral motion thereof, and these well-known disadvantages are avoided. This end, however, has been heretofore accomplished; but my improved device possesses functions not attained by any of the similar devices heretofore put on the market-that is to say, the strain exerted on the guide-wire V by the curtain soon loosens that wire, so that it is disagreeably slack and not only works poorly,bnt presents an unslightly appearance. lVhen this occurs, I give a few turns to the screws S with an ordinary screw-driver, and the wires W are im mediately tightened.

The chief advantages which I claim for this device are its simplicity and effectiveness of construction, adapting it not only to be made and sold as an article of manufacture capable of being applied to the common forms of shades now in general use, but also, from its simplicity of construction, easily and readily so applied by any person not necessarily skilled in the art of curtain-hanging, and, when applied, adjusted and removed with equal facility by unskilled hands.

In appearance the device is small and neat, and would hardly be noticed by a person in the room, and its position close to the window-frame renders it not liable to be caught in the dress of the user orpulled down by accident.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and of my invention As an article of manufacture, the herein-de scribed window-curtain guide, the same comprising a stiff wire hook H, adapted to engage the ordinary cu rtain-fixture and having an eye 7L at its lower end, a guide-wire W, depending from said eye, a guide K, detachably con-- nected to the curtain-stick and slidingloosely on said wire, and a tension device comprising a lower L-shaped member secured to the window-frame, an upper L-shaped member sliding against said frame above the lower memher, and a screw passing loosely through a hole in said upper member and taking into a threaded hole in the lower, the whole constructed and arranged as and for the purpose hereinbefore specified.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presenceof two witnesses.

ALFRED M. HASWELL. Witnesses:

HENRY HOWARD ONEILL, II. WARNER.

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